To Bare His Child
by RainbowBriteWrites
Summary: Sephiroth managed to keep his sanity after learning the truth of ‘Mother’, but at the cost of losing what few emotions he still held onto. So with his prized specimen still around, professor Hojo has at last figured out how to create the ‘perfect’ being to find the promised land. And Aerith just so happens to be the main key. (A what if Sephiroth didnt go crazy story.)
1. chapter 1

To bare his child

Summary: Sephiroth managed to keep his sanity after learning the truth of 'Mother', but at the cost of losing what few emotions he still held onto. So with his prized specimen still around, professor Hojo has at last figured out how to create the 'perfect' being to find the promised land. And Aerith just so happens to be the main key. (Takes place 4 years before FF7 story. A what-if Seph didn't go psycho crazy. And almost everyone is still alive!)

Hey there!! Rainbow here again, so this story is something that randomly came to my mind after reading a few fanfics, which just my luck none of them ever finished the story ;_; Well, I for sure plan to! Not sure how it's going to end yet but we will see when we get there!! But I hope you enjoy it and please remember, even if it's not your favorite pairing don't be rude about it, let people have their ships! This just happens to be one of my favorite ones lol.

HUGE thanks to my awesome waifu Hera for proofreading and helping to make this story even better!!

WARNING: Mild rape scene.

Chapter 1

All around her was white and steel gray, including the shackles that held her still on top of a table towards the left of the rather large room. Aerith tried in vain to twist and wiggle her way out of her confines, but even her head was tightly strapped and unable to move. It wasn't her first time going through this; she had spent a large portion of her childhood in this very building with her mother. They were both treated as nothing more than specimens, and tested and prodded by needles and doctors. She had been spared the worst of it because she was so young, but her mother was not. She would always return to their 'room' with bruises, cuts, or would be gone for a long time and return barely able to move. The young flower girl had thought those awful days long gone and over.

She grunted, tears streaming from her eyes as she fought back the urge to scream out. She had almost gotten away. If she had run just a little bit faster she wouldn't be in this mess. A stream of curses crossed through her mind as she chastised herself for not being in better shape. You would think having to hide and avoid Shinra for such a long time, you would build up stamina, speed or at least skills at hiding. But nope! She was still just as bad at it as she use to be. If it hadn't been for Tseng's kindness, she would have been captured long ago.

They had sent someone different out for her this time, and they had made swift capture of her. They bound her arms and covered her mouth as they swept her away to the Shinra building. She had been here for a few days now, stripped of her clothes and placed in a plain gray gown so it was easier to run tests on her. And now, here she was, helpless on a table and no idea what was going on around her. Aerith heard the swishing sound of the doors open. Asickly and haunting older man with oily black hair walked up to her table. He chuckled softly as he brushed her long brown hair away from her face, running his fingers down the full length of it and twirling the end slightly before letting it fall.

Even the man's voice made her stomach churn as he spoke, "I'm so glad to finally have you here, little Cetra. After all these years, I can finally start my true project. I've had to make some changes of course, seeing how you and your mother slipped away. Oh, but the things we can do! I even developed a new way to get what it I want!!" He laughed rather loudly this time, his body moving back and forth rabidly. "Oh how wonderful it will be!! To not have to rely on the 'human' element of it all! I can force you to do anything without having to worry! Well... I will have to do one thing before you are ready... Can't have a virgin do this now can I? Well, maybe we could, but I would rather not risk something happening to a precious specimen after waiting all this time." He said, patting her stomach and then moving away.

Aerith's face flushed at the words, the fear rising anew inside her, and even though she didn't think she could, she cried even more "No! Nononono!! Don't do this to me, please! Please!!"

Her voice was quiet, and she struggled again at the restraints to no avail. She watched in horror as the man moved back to her table with a syringe, tapping her arm and then quickly plunging the needle into her skin. She whimpered at the sting, fear at the forefront of her mind at what he had just given her. The planet cried out for its child, trying to send what comfort it could before its voice faded away.

Hojo grinned down at his helpless victim "Oh, don't worry little Cetra, it won't be me who takes that away from you. Although, I will be watching to make sure everything goes the way I want. And besides, it's human nature. Every simple minded human seems to enjoy such activities anyway, so I am simply introducing you to it for my own needs." He clapped his hands together as the door swished open again, out of view of the poor girl "Now!! The sooner we can start, the better! We will get this out of the way today, then after a day or two has passed, we can start the next part! So let's begin!" He motioned to the person out of view, then made his way into a room with a one-way view wall.

Aerith felt the drugs in her system almost as soon as the professor had started to speak, her body tingling and then going slightly numb. Her head felt light and it was hard to focus her thoughts or vision. By the time he walked away, it felt like she had no control over her own body; well, even less than she already did being strapped down anyway. A figure moved into her line of sight, but she couldn't tell any details or distinguishing features because focusing became simply too hard. He looked like a faint blob to her clouded mind. The restraints on her legs and head were removed, her gown lifted up to her stomach, and the rest left bare. Try as hard as she could, Aerith simply could not gather her thoughts together to do anything, nor the strength to even move. She could only cry as the man lifted her legs and got onto the table on top of her.

Never before had she pictured that she would lose her virginity by being drugged and raped. The flower girl had always pictured a loving husband, a beautiful wedding and comfortable home in her future. Not this. Even in a drugged state, Aerith could still feel the unknown man handle her, penetrating her as he kissed her neck. He moved her body as much as he was able to please himself, handling her and touching her like an object. Her chest, neck, lips, almost everywhere felt painful, violated and dirty. Her unknown rapist wasn't rough and cruel, but the pain was there even through the foggy haze of her mind. And once he was finished, he cleaned himself up and left, not a single word said.

Hojo slipped out of his room, a scowl on his face "Took that buffoon long enough, never will I understand the need to go to such measures. Just get it done quick! Why linger on something so pointless!" He skidded across the room and picked up a phone, murmuring something then hanging up. "Now to get you cleaned up and back to your room. We shall begin the next step once your body has recovered. Goodbye, little Cetra. I will see you back here soon." And with that he left, someone else sweeping into the room to 'clean her up.'Aerith wept into her arms. Over a week had passed since the incident, but the feelings remained. Other than several more tests and some painful procedures, she had been locked inside her room once again. She had scratched, scrubbed, and tried the hottest water they allowed to try to remove the feeling with no luck. She felt alone, afraid, and disgusting. She was only 18; her 19th birthday was coming soon and this wasn't how she wanted to spend it, inside Shinra headquarters.

"Oh planet, how am I going to get through this?" She asked, her voice rough from her throat being raw from crying so much. She closed her eyes and listened, praying to hear the comforting voice of the planet. Its soft voice swirled through her mind, sounding like a dozen different people and yet one. All speaking together to sooth its poor child even without words. The planet couldn't actually speak, but it still helped calmed Aerith down. For the first time in a long while, its wonderful child smiled.

Her door opened and someone stormed inside, causing Aerith's breath to catch in her throat and jump from her bed. One of Hojo's assistants moved skillfully behind her and tied her hands.

"Alright, time to start whatever the professor wants with you." He shoved her through the door and down the halls towards the lab. She stopped in her tracks at one point, her eyes growing wide as someone left the lab ahead of them, his long silver hair an easily recognized part of him. Sephiroth. The planet cried out to her, making her ears ring loudly as she tried to look at him. He said nothing, only looked down at her with an emotionless gaze, then turned and left. The feeling of familiarity as she watched his back as he left. She knew those piercing eyes, those sharp features and strange yet beautifully colored hair. She stood still and watched him until his form disappeared from sight, a painful twinge in her chest remembering those emotionless eyes she had just seen. The planet very much disagreed with her trail of thoughts and yelled out to its last remaining child. Aerith hissed and held her head in her hands, trying to soothe its cries as best as she could. A rough hand on her back reminded her of where she was, fear welling up inside her once more. She was ushered into the lab and once again strapped to the same silver table, but at least it was just her hands this time.

"Alright, girly. Time to give you some pain meds and then put you to sleep. It's nothing big, but the professor says you'll be here for a few hours. Might as well sleep, right?" The assistant spoke as he sat her up and gave her said pills and helped her take them. "Who knows, maybe this crazy thing he has planned will actually work! That would be one hell of a thing!!" He laughed, filling a syringe expertly and then poking through her pale skin. "Ready now! Count backwards from ten and see how far ya get!" And so she did, the strength to fight back mostly gone after being stuck within these steel walls for such a long time.

Ten...Nine...Eight...Poor Aerith!! I promise to not do that again to the poor flower girl. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and tell me what you thought in the comments. See you guys next chapter!~Rainbow

If you have been a victim of rape or sexual violence of any kind do not be scared to reach out, you can call this number 800.656.HOPE (4673).Or reach out to friends, family or myself. You are never alone in this and it's not your fault.


	2. Chapter two

To bare his child chapter 2

Rainbow here again!  
I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out guys, I've re-written this five or six times now and am just now actually happy with the way it turned out. It's not as good as I would like but it's definitely done. And I have already started on the next chapter so it shouldn't take as long to finish and have up. But I hope you enjoy chapter two!!

Thanks to my amazing Husband for helping me finish and figure out ways to make this better. And to my lovely Waifu once more for proofreading and helping to inspire me.

Aerith's bare feet flew across the cold hard floor of her small 'room' and into the bathroom, hurling part of her breakfast into the small toilet inside for what felt like the millionth time in the past two weeks. Her stomach churned and she groaned softly, placing one hand on said area and using the other to push back her bangs. It had been a little over two months since her last "procedure," as Hojo called it, and she still had no idea what the man had done to her. But she did know that he continued to draw blood once a week, weighing her and, in general, seemed like he was looking for something to happen.

She took a deep breath and leaned back a bit on the floor, blaming the changes in food and the medication they had been making her take for her sudden sickness almost every morning. They had changed her diet about two weeks ago and seemed like they were watching her even closer. As soon as her stomach settled, she stood and took a shower, the hot water a pleasant welcome to wash away the gross feeling. Aerith stood under the running water, her head bowed and her hair falling down in front of her face as her mind once more went over the events in Hojo's lab. She hugged herself tightly, her small frame quivering from the torment of emotions. And not knowing her attacker made it worse, because her dreams always made it someone, or something, to fill in the blanks. Once it had been her old boyfriend, Zack, another a monster from the slums, and so on with it changing each time. The only good thing was that she didn't have that dream every night.

Aerith took a deep breath, raising her head and closing her eyes as the water hit her face. The soft voice of the planet reached out to her, helping to calm her down and remind her that, no matter what, she was not alone. Its warmth spread through her, swirling through her to help ease its poor child's pain. The planet's warmth moved through her, crying in pain and sadness as it reached her abdomen and then left. The young flower girl placed her hands on her stomach, trying to figure out why that kept happening. Shinra had made sure to keep her up and active everyday for at least an hour outside of her room and another inside. Nothing major, but some walking, training, or whatever they could think of that wasn't too hard. They even had her cleaning before, and doing something called 'yoga' in her room that someone would come and teach her. So it wasn't because of her weight; that hadn't changed since she arrived here.

She washed herself quickly and got out, drying herself and wrapping her hair in a towel. Thankfully, Shinra had at least given her daily needs, and even a few simple gowns for her to wear instead of hospital gowns. She picked out a light blue one and some black slip-ons, the only shoes she was allowed to have. Then she brushed and braided her hair back into place, along with her pink ribbon that she had to beg them to let her keep. She picked up her Mother's materia next, holding it tightly to her chest to help give her strength for the day before placing it into its normal spot in her ribbon. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the clock high on the wall; any moment now someone would be coming to get her for more of her weekly tests. Almost everyday there was something they wanted. Blood tests were one of the more common things, every single week at Hojo's own lab. But she had also been through several other things, including how strong she was with materia and weapons, which she did very poor on the latter one.

Her guard at last opened the door and proceeded to walk her through the halls of the Shinra building. At first she ended up with three guards walking her at all times, but as she had shown less and less resolve to escape, they had lowered her guards and allowed her more privacy. So long as she behaved, anyway; acting out in any way would mean a harsh punishment that she wanted to avoid at all costs. The trip didn't last long, just up the elevator and to Hojo's lab for her weekly testing. Again thoughts of trying to run away were at the forefront of her mind, but then so were the painful binds and a hard slap across the face from the professor that she didn't want to go through again.

But that didn't stop her from talking, for now. "This place always stinks. The smell is making me sick to my stomach." Which wasn't a lie; the place smelled of strong chemicals and blood.

The guard simply laughed, a very broad-shouldered man with a deep voice. "Been that way as long as I can remember, ma'am. Ya get use to it after some time."

He guided her to a chair where she was once again strapped down, because the one time she wasn't, Aerith had tried to hit Hojo. He was oddly fast and not only avoided her, but had swiftly backhanded her across the face. It had left a huge and nasty bruise and a swollen eye. Needless to say, even if they had left her free, she had no interest in hitting him again.

Aerith puffed her cheeks up in annoyance, mumbling softly, "I don't want to get use to it, that's the point."

She sat in silence as the guard moved to a room connected with the one they were in and banged on the door loudly—Hojo never seemed to hear it otherwise—then left to stand outside the door as always. The young flower girl stayed in silence, the small pit of dread and fear growing every second with the absence of the guard. Hojo was never as cruel with others around. Her breath caught in her throat as the door to the other room opened, the smell of blood growing so strongly it almost made her sick again. Her heart dropped slightly as she noticed the blood stains on his coat; it was splattered all over and somehow even on his glasses. It made the already odd man strangely terrifying.

Hojo mumbled quietly to himself as he shuffled around the room, first to his desk to write some notes and get a tissue to clean his glasses, and then over to his captive's chair. His thin fingers were quick and nimble as he stuck the needle into her skin to draw blood. He never looked up as he did so, then moved back over to his desk and placed it in a bag to send to the lab, as he had done every week. He grunted and roughly punched some buttons on his phone as spoke, she assumed to his receptionist with the way he yelled and how rude he was.

"Tell the president he can come now. And send that damn woman he wanted to be here, too." He didn't wait for a reply before slamming the phone down and turning to stare at Aerith, sending shivers down her spine once again. "No thanks to your mother, I can finally start the project I've waited on for so long, young Cetra. And you get to help. You should be happy to help me, it's an honor really. Hehe...Hahaha!!"

His laugh caused his body to shake; he truly looked like he had lost his mind ages ago. Once he had finished, the professor grabbed a chart that had been lying around and started to write, now just waiting for his boss to show up.

Not much time passed before the door swished open behind the chair where Aerith was sitting. he wasn't able to see who it was, but she had heard their voice on TV before.

"Greetings, Professor. I hear everything is on track and you have wonderful news," President Shinra spoke loudly and filled with confidence, walking up to Hojo's desk and sitting himself down to listen. He nodded his head towards Aerith, a smile on his face. But she could tell, it wasn't from kindnesses . "Oh, and of course I brought Sephiroth with me, seeing how this does concern him."

Aerith turned to look over her shoulder, and there he was. Tall, long silver hair and glowing mako eyes that looked like they could pierce straight through her. Their eyes met for a few moments, memories flooding through her mind and the slightest bit of hope filling her body. She knew him, and not just from the TV, but in her childhood as well. Her memories were fuzzy, but it was hard to forget those distinguishing features. He stood propped against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and one leg resting on the wall as well. They held each other's gaze for only a few moments, Aerith's heart beat racing as a small glimmer of hope that maybe he would help her grew inside her. But it was just as quickly swept away when he turned his head to stare at something she assumed was more interesting. Aerith bit her bottom lip and dropped her head, the same pit of fear and loneliness she had been pushing away growing and making her feel nauseous. There was no hope for her getting away now, was there? She would forever be stuck inside this building and its steel walls and used for whatever Hojo could think of. And what made it even worse was when she looked into his eyes, they looked emotionless and dead. Like he was nothing but a doll made for their use.

Hojo simply nodded his head, handing the president some paperwork to look through. "That's the progress so far. Everything is going much better than I thought. The procedure has a chance of failing and may have needed to be redone over and over. But luckily it worked for us our first time. Probably a side effect of both of their genes, and no adverse side effects so far. Unlike before..."

President Shinra cleared his throat and motioned for Hojo to leave. "Go clean yourself up, Hojo. You've done your part for now and the doctor should be here any moment. No need to have you around covered in Gaia knows what."

Hojo grumbled under his breath but did as he was told, leaving the room to go and clean up. The president stood and walked over to Aerith, that same smile on his face as he motioned for Sephiroth this time. "Come and release these restraints. There's no need for them right now. Right, little Cetra?" He asked, chuckling softly as Sephiroth released her arms.

"My name is Aerith...sir," she said, rubbing at her wrist and glaring at the blonde-haired man.

"Well, Miss Aerith, your world is about to change. With your help the Shinra company will grow even larger then we had first dreamed. We can reach every part of this world with our energy. And maybe even more, who knows what we can do!" His speech was interrupted by the door once again opening, this time by a woman.

She strode straight over to the president and smiled, brushing a strand of brown hair from her face before reaching for his hand. "Good to see you again, sir. I apologize for not getting to do this sooner, but an emergency came up at work and I had to leave before your meeting was over." She shook his hand and turned to Sephiroth next. "And a pleasure to see you again, General. And you, Miss Aerith. Last time I saw you, you were asleep." She laughed softly, a warm and happy laugh as she placed a hand on the flower girl's shoulder "My name is Claire, Doctor Claire Wells. I came last week to give you a check up."

Aerith smiled at her, so thankful to finally see someone who seemed genuinely nice. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am, but why did you do a check up? I thought professor Hojo was doing that?" She questioned the older woman, glancing to the room's other two occupants before going back to Claire.

Claire gave all three an odd look before continuing. "Well, I thought they would have told you both already. Hmm...Well, congratulations, Miss Aerith, General Sephiroth. You're going to be parents."  
I almost added more to this chapter but the more I thought about it the better it seemed to end it here. And this way it's a great way to start the next one!!

Thanks for reading guys! Hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think! Any ideas you have or just something I could maybe do better. See ya next time!  
~Rainbow


	3. Chapter Three

To Bare His Child Chapter three

Rainbow here again!!

I won't talk to much this time but to people who have liked the story so far a HUGE thank you!! It makes me so happy and inspires me to keep going!!

And to SorrowoftheHeart, Lemnline7 and the guest or left reviews. THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!! I do wish I had thought of using Claire as a crossover, but she was based off my mother's neighbor. But that's not gonna stop me from doing it more now!!! We will also have to wait and see how Aerith handles this whole ordeal, maybe she can help Sephy, maybe not. Gonna have to keep reading to find out!!!

This chapter is going to mainly focus on Sephiroth, at least as much as I am able to. So hopefully it's not to boring. And sorry if it's not as long, been a very stressful few weeks and it was hard to write this.

Sephiroth was quick to move from his position near the door and stride across the lab room and in front of the doctor, a cold and calculating stare fixed on the smaller woman. "That's impossible. You must be mistaken." He turned his gaze towards the young girl, taking note of how she had one hand rested on her stomach and the other covering her mouth. Her head was bowed and hair fell into her face, but the trail of tears did not go unnoticed by him before he looked back to Claire for an explanation.

Just as Claire was about to speak, the door opened behind them and Hojo walked through once more, cleaned up finally, but still an odd and revolting sight to see. "She is not mistaken, Sephiroth, what she says is true." Hojo spoke as he moved to his desk, then turned towards the couple and Claire. "Through a series of tests and experiments, I have found a way to...My, how to phrase this so even the girl can understand..." He contemplated as he rubbed his chin, "Hmm...I guess the most simple way would be that I have figured out how to impregnate a woman without the need for intercourse." He shrugged, leaning against the desk.

"What Professor Hojo has done can help people who are unable to have children, but before we can truly start, we have to test it." Claire happily agreed, a smile on her face "President Shinra and Professor Hojo brought me along because I specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. And I'm so excited to be a part of this journey and help however I can."

Hojo grumbled softly, only stopping when President Shinra cleared his throat and glared towards him. "The whole thing will be closely monitored and detailed. You are being included simply because the doctor insisted so..." He took a deep breath, "It's something that has never been done before, much less with a SOLDIER who has mako running throughout their body."

President Shinra placed his hands behind him. "And on the insistence of Miss Claire, you two will be living together from now on. We have cleared an entire floor of the building to make it into a home of sorts for you two to stay in." He looked towards said woman briefly. "So during this time, your main mission, Sephiroth, will be to take care of Miss Aerith. You will only go on small or extreme emergency type of field work during this time. Much to my dismay of course, but if it will help us better in the long run then so be it."

Sephiroth nodded in agreement. "Understood, sir." He looked once more to the young girl, who now stared up at him in disbelief, her cheeks and eyes red from crying and a truly defeated look about her. It was a look he had seen before, during missions and even training, but he had long ago learned to not let such things affect him in any way. He looked away and once more went to stand beside the door, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

Claire moved up to Aerith, squatting down and placing a hand on Aerith's knee. "I know it can be scary, but you will be fine. You're not alone in this. I will be visiting every week to check up on you, and if you have any questions all you have to do is call. And, here, I've got something for you both to see!" She reached into her a pocket and pulled out a small picture. "It's your very first ultrasound, a picture of what the baby looks like at this point. It's not much, but it's proof that there is a living being inside you." Claire gave the photo to Aerith, motioning for Sephiroth to come and have a look as well. "Because this is such a special case, you will be getting one of those every month. So you will get to see how it changes and grows over time as well."

Sephiroth moved up behind the chair Aerith was in, placing a hand on it and leaning forward to look at it as well. It was nothing but a blurry blob to him, but he was aware that most women loved this kind of thing for some odd reason. He nodded his head as Claire listed off information and then once more moved back to his post of sorts by the door.

Aerith held the small picture tightly in her hands, unaware that Sephiroth had even moved behind her and then away. She was horrified and amazed all at once, unable to truly take it in that she was indeed carrying a human inside of her. The young flower girl looked up to Claire, fresh tears once again threatening to fall. "So, I'm going to be a mother? I don't know if I'm ready for something like that." Her hands were shaking at this point. The swirling mixture of emotions going through her were hard to sort through and figure out. Excitement. Fear. Joy. Anger. And so, so many more mashing together, and for someone who was a normally happy person and tried to always stay calm, she was unsure of how to handle those feelings. While it explained a lot of what she had gone through recently, it felt like her body was being used without her permission once more.

Claire took a deep breath and reached out to Aerith, gently clasping her hands in her own. "If I'm honest, no one is ever truly ready. But you can do this, you will have someone with you whenever you need. It might seem overwhelming now, but in another few weeks you won't be able to imagine not being pregnant." She spoke calmly and patted Aerith's hands. "You've got this, don't worry!" She stood to her feet and sighed softly "But I really do have to get going for now. I have several patients waiting for me back at my own office. President Shinra, Professor Hojo, I will see you in next week's meeting. Miss Aerith, I will see you next week for our next appointment, and hopefully you as well, General Sephiroth. You should try to be there with her as much as you can. Oh! I also sent some books for you both to read. Information and ideas, what foods to eat and all that boring stuff. Have a good day!" Claire patted Aerith's shoulder, then walked over to Sephiroth and shook his hand before leaving.

The room stayed silent, Hojo raising his head up to look the ceiling, an odd thing Sephiroth noticed he did often when thinking. "Well, that's all for today. Sephiroth, you should go on to training. The other two people we spoke of last time will be there waiting on you. You are currently in charge of making sure they don't kill themselves or something. Your things will be moved into your new living space by someone else. And you, girl, go pack your things so they can show you to your new... Home..." He motioned for them both to leave, sitting down at his desk and starting to write.

Sephiroth looked once more to Aerith, watching as she stood to her feet and returned his gaze, then silently left the room. He didn't want to waste anymore time in that awful space than he had to. Of everywhere he had been around this world, that lab was one of the few places he truly hated. It took little time for him to make it to the training room. The light on the door indicating that someone was already inside was noticed but also ignored as he went on in. The hologram inside was of a forest, monsters screaming off in the distance and heard stomping through the woods. It had been a while since he had seen this program; he mastered it himself what felt like a lifetime ago now.

It didn't take long to find the two men, battling against some kind of monsters. Sephiroth stood back and watched, taking note of how they moved and what weapons they wielded. One used a spear; his agility was surprisingly good as he jumped high into the air, avoiding the branches abound and flipping over the monster and piercing its back. The monster screamed out and fell to the ground, twitching a few times before staying still. The man grunted loudly and pulled his weapon free, turning to watch his comrade finish his fight. The other SOLDIER was much more interesting for Sephiroth, mainly the large weapon he held in his hands. It was a buster sword; although its design was slightly different than the one his old colleges Angeal and Zack used, it was unmistakable. He swung it with ease, making short work of his own beast and placing the large sword on his back. It was clear he had unusual strength. Sephiroth placed a hand on the hilt of his own blade, gripping it tightly and deciding on how he would train these two.

"Not too bad, you both show promise." The General turned the hologram machine off, ready to begin and forget about the unusual events of today until a later time.

Both of the SOLDIERS quickly stood to attention and saluted. "Thank you, sir!" They spoke in unison, awaiting orders.

Sephiroth nodded his head towards them. "At ease. Now, tell me your names, men, I will be training you for the next month and need to know what to call you."

The spear wielder stuck his weapon into the ground, and took off his helmet. "My name is Kain, sir. Kain Highwind." His long blonde hair fell over one shoulder, and even without the mako glow his eyes were a pale blue, almost gray, and held a look of determination in them. "It's been an honor to participate in Project J, and now train with you."

The other one also removed his helmet, causing Sephiroth to raise a brow at the spiky blonde locks underneath. "My name is Cloud, sir. Cloud Strife. We've met once before."

Make sure to tell me what you think! Even though this one took to long it was fun to write. But I did realize that Hojo and President Shinra have talked more than then our main characters so far. But that should stop after this chapter!

Thanks for reading and have a great day guys!!!

~Rainbow


	4. Chapter four

TBCH Chapter four

Rainbow here!

Sorry for how long it took to get this out again. I was trying pretty hard to make sure it flowed together and made sense.

Now to clear up a misunderstanding.  
In chapter one Aerith was drugged by Hojo and forcibly raped, but that wasn't Sephiroth who did so nor was it the point where she became pregnant. Hojo has that done for fear of what being a virgin and caring a child could cause for one and because for his IVF treatment to work it had to be done. She would also have been far enough along to visibly see it if that was the case, because about three and half weeks passed within just the first chapter. The end of chapter one she is put to sleep and undergoes a procedure, that's where it happens. Sephiroth and Aerith had their first real encounter during the last chapter.

I'm sorry if I didn't get that point across before, her assailant is someone who hasn't been introduced yet. But as a hint, he was also drugged up and being controlled. I am actively trying to improve my writing and continue to make this story interesting. So if I'm not explaining something where you can understand please just let me know, I'm trying!

Now onward once more! To stories untold! Haha!

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Aerith was currently stuck in an elevator with two guards once more, one holding a bag with her belongings and the other closely watching her, as always. They hadn't given her long to pack, not like she had much anyway, but still. That meant no time to herself to mull over the day and what she had learned. While it explained a lot of what she was currently going through, it still felt like a dream she should wake up from at any moment. She clutched her chest tightly, looking to the ground as she once again tried to wrap her brain around all the information and what she would need to do from now on. The elevator dinged softly and opened up, and Aerith's heart skipped a beat when she noticed black shoes and a blue tux. Maybe, just maybe it was Tseng, and she would finally see a familiar face and a sliver of hope to get away. She looked up as she stepped out, hope filling her eyes.

It wasn't him, it was another Turk; she had seen him before. But she didn't know very much about him. "Miss Aerith, my name is Rude. I am here to inform you of your security while staying with us." He nodded his head in greeting, face stern and serious.

"Um... Alright." She whispered, dropping her hands to her sides. She should have known better than to get her hopes up like that. This building was a prison that she could never escape. It made her feel nauseous, tired, and defeated.

Rude stood stoic as he watched, but true to his training he noticed the quick mood change and slight shifts in her face and body. He motioned to the walls behind them. "Most of this floor has been converted into a living space for yourself and Sephiroth, with the exception of the area to your right. We have built an area for security to stay near should you need anything. And there will always be a SOLDIER or Turk posted in front of your doors. You need only ask and we will get what you need." He made his way to the door and opened it up, turning and motioning for her to go inside "We have stocked the fridge with food already, and most every need that you might have." He motioned for her guards to place her things inside then go out, then followed her inside as she gazed around. "If you need anything, I will be outside your door today. Have a good day, Miss Aerith." And with that, he turned and left, closing the door behind him. He sent the two guards to the security area and stood by the door.

Aerith slowly walked around. There was a living room area, kitchen, and even a small dining room area. She opened a door to find the bathroom, which was way nicer than what she expected. Then, she finally found what would be her bedroom. Most everything was furnished in darker colors throughout the whole apartment, mostly grays and black. She walked into the room, over to the large windows and looked outside at the view over Midgar. It was something she had never seen before, having lived under the plate most of her life, or trapped inside lab walls. It was strangely beautiful and horrifying to see, the large reactors sending smoke into the air as it pumped the planet's lifeblood and the many buildings piled in too closely together. The sun was slightly covered by clouds, giving the whole city a musky and old look.

Her knees finally gave out on her as she broke down to cry, placing a hand on the glass as she fell to the ground to stop from falling forward. "Why...Why me? I don't understand, Planet. Why do these things keep happening to me! Please... I'm scared, I don't know what to do. Help me!" She cried as she clutched at her stomach, thoughts of whether she should even keep the child crossing her mind. It couldn't be that hard to force herself to have a miscarriage; medicine or some kind of extreme physical trauma could likely cause it. She bent over and hugged herself tightly, pressing her forehead against the glass. "Why!" She screamed, her hair falling from its braid and into her face.

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the warming presence of the planet wash over her, calming her nerves and softly whispering that everything would fine. It's voices sang softly, trying its best to encourage its child through the pain. While it did not have a voice, it's emotional cry came across clear to her. It gently wrapped around her, helping to steady her breathing and fears.

Aerith breathed deeply, slowly sitting up and brushing her hair behind her ear. She pulled out the small ultrasound and stared at the blurry picture, already ashamed of herself that the thought of killing her child had even crossed her mind. "Thank you, Planet..." she cried softly, slowly rising to her feet to once more look out at the view. She had to be stronger than this, strong for the child she now carries within her and for herself. Exhaustion hit her hard after a few moments of standing. She made her way to the bed and threw herself onto the soft covers. The bed was far too big for one person, and the gray and white covers and sheets were the softest she had ever felt. In a matter of minutes she was asleep peacefully, dreaming of her flowers in the church and tending to them.

~~~~~

When Aerith awoke next, the sun had set. The lights of Midgar shone brightly through the glass as she slowly sat up, wiping a trace of drool from her cheek and undoing her hair the rest of the way. She braided it back into place and stood, stretching out her sore limbs and popping her back. She pulled the ultrasound picture from her dress pocket once more and held it, noticing how it had her name along the edge along, with her age and how far along she was. Eight weeks and three days at the time of the picture, so a little over two months already. What would her mother think if she knew? Would she be overjoyed to have a grandchild? Or disappointed because it was out of wedlock? Would she even be able to see her mother again? The poor woman had to be worried sick now, or maybe with any luck Shinra had at least sent a letter to let her know that she was with them and alright.

Taking a deep breath, Aerith stood to her feet, determined to not start crying once more. She was hungry, and thrilled to have a kitchen. The one good thing about this whole ordeal was at least she was able to cook once again.

Making her way towards the kitchen, she noticed the sound of the shower in the bathroom, meaning her new roommate of sorts was home. Her hand drifted once again to her stomach; it still seemed unreal that she was somehow now carrying Sephiroth's child inside her. A very large part of her still wanted to deny the whole thing and say she was dreaming. Pushing those thoughts aside, she continued to the kitchen, her stomach growling to remind her how hungry she was. Opening the fridge, she rummaged around and pulled out a few things, putting water on the boil and chopping some seasoning and cooking up some shrimp and pasta. It took very little time for her to finish cooking, and she searched through the cabinets to find the plates. She pulled down two plates and scooped food onto both; she figured, seeing how they lived together, she should cook for her and Sephiroth, and toasted a piece of bread for herself. Placing the plates on the table, she got herself a glass of water and sat down, taking note that the sound of the shower was gone now. He must have been finished.

The food tasted good, so much better than what she had been forced to eat in the small room she had before. She heard the door to the bathroom open and shut. Normally she would have heard footsteps too, but for a man as tall as he was he walked silently. She assumed that he went to his room. But almost as soon as that thought crossed her mind, there he was, standing in the kitchen before the table. His hair was still wet, and he had on very casual clothes, pajamas, more than likely: a black loose fitting shirt and gray pants. His face was still, eyes blank as he looked at her. Aerith heard the planet cry out softly; it was always so difficult to tell what the emotions it was trying to get across meant. It sounded like a mother crying for its lost child, or a scream of anger and fear.

Pushing those thoughts aside Aerith cleared her throat and looked to the other plate of food. "I went ahead and made enough for you as well. Figured seeing how we are both stuck here against our will for a long time, might as well make the best of it." She watched as he silently nodded to her and then sat down to eat himself. They stayed that way, Aerith finishing first and washing her plate and cup afterward and setting to aside to dry. She sighed softly as she dried her hands. What on earth was she going to do now?

Aerith made her way to the living room area, deciding that she wanted to watch some TV. They didn't have one back at her home; they just never had the need because she was tending her garden more often than not. But that wasn't something she could do here, so might as well pass the time. Flipping on the TV, she looked through the channels, finally picking one that seemed to be a movie about transforming robots. The couch was extremely comfortable, and surprisingly the movie wasn't too bad; too many explosions, but not the worst. She glanced back into the kitchen area to see what her unexpected roommate was currently doing.

Sephiroth was sitting at the table still, leaning back in the chair and reading a book. He had already cleaned up his own plates and seemed rather engrossed in whatever it was he was reading. The young flower girl watched him for a few moments; she was just a bit too far to really get a good look as his face, but he seemed to be reading pretty fast. She sighed and went back to TV flipping, intent on finding something else to watch.

Aerith wasn't sure when, but at some point she had drifted off to sleep, only waking up to a gentle hand on her shoulder and being spoken to. "Aerith. Aerith, it's late. You should go on to bed." She blinked several times to clear her vision, it was extremely hard to to focus at the moment. She mumbled softly under her breath and let her eyes close, laying her head back against the couch. Sleep was way more intriguing and inviting at the moment and it was all she wanted.

Sephiroth shook his head. This kind of behavior was something he wasn't really used to, having been around Soldiers his whole life. He contemplated what would be the best option, to try to wake her again or to simply move her on his own. She was small, so it wouldn't be hard at all. He tried again to wake her once more, to no avail. Were all pregnant women tired like this? With that option ruled out, he carefully scooped her up, making sure her head rested against his chest and he had a good grip on her. She was lighter than he expected, and it wasn't until he was holding her that he truly realized how small her frame was in general. He felt like if he was to squeeze even slightly she would break. He made his way through the rooms and into the bedroom, gently laying her down and covering her up, he did wonder if she realized that there was only one bed here. Sephiroth carefully undid her braid, surprised at how long her hair really was. A former Soldier under his command had long hair and had told him once how awful it was to fall asleep with your hair up. Brushing the long brown strands away from her face, Sephiroth then glanced at the clock, noting how late it was. He stood from the bed, heading to the closet to get an extra pillow and blanket that was hopefully there. Shinra had thankfully placed a few extra of each.

The general looked back to check on the sleeping girl once more (his new mission was to take care of her after all) and went to go sleep on the couch. His dreams that night were filled with memories of the past, the silver and white of the labs, the pain of the needles and experiments that were conducted on him and the feeling of loneliness that had engulfed him as a child.

Well, there's another chapter! Part of this one was super easy to write, but the other part I struggled with a lot. And my life has been hectic recently too so I haven't had a lot of time to write. Hopefully you guys enjoy this! Let me know what you think and thanks for reading guys!

P.S. Hera is the best Waifu and friend ever! Thank you so much for helping me out!

~Rainbow


	5. Chapter 5

TO Bare His Child; chapter five

So... I promise I'm not dead! And I promise 100% that I am going to finish this story! Things in my life just got a bit to out of hand at one point for me to really be able to focus on writing and if I do had forced myself with wouldn't have turned out good. So while I am not super super happy with this Chapter, it's still better then what I would have written.

To let you guys know so you understand a little bit better, so you can skip this part of you don't want to read it.

I struggle quit a lot with depression and very negative thoughts of myself, it was a lot worse when I was younger but thanks to my husband, kids and friends I've made over the recent years it's gotten better. I won't go into huge detail because no one likes to have to hear others whining about their life, but between depression, cars breaking down and appliances needing replaced, sickness going around and just staying busy with kids I didn't have time to really focus on writing. And honestly, the times I did had no drive to do so.

I love this story yes, but I just couldn't make myself write, because I knew I would hate it, get upset and just want to stop it altogether.

But more recently my Husband and my wonderful waifu Hera have pushed me to keep going, reminded me that I'm better then I think I am and should put my all into this.

So even though I'm not 100% happy with this chapter, it's done finally and I'm going to do my best to get the next one out a whole lot sooner haha.

Steel clashed agents steel, masamune versus buster sword as the moved swiftly around the large training area created by the hologram room. In the past month and half since Sephiroth had begun training Cloud and Kain both they had improved greatly. He knew that was in part thanks to the Mako they both had running through them, but there was something else to, whatever project Hojo was using them for was making them stronger and faster. It was a lot like himself, the feeling they were starting to give off, just not as strong.

Sephiroth raised a hand and motioned that it was time to stop, both came to a stop and sheathed their weapons. The general made his way to where Kain was resting from his own previous bout with Sephiroth "You two have improved. You are both just as strong as first class Soldiers now." He crossed his arms, looking between the two blondes "You will both be gone for a month or two correct?"

Kain grinned and nodded his head, standing to his feet and planting his spear into the ground "Yes sir, Professor Hojo says we are ready for the next phase of the project. It would only me a month if Cloud didn't get so sick from it all." He said as he looked over to the spiked haired man.

Cloud glared daggers at Kain "Look, it's not my fault whatever that stuff is makes me super sick longer then you guys. I'm just happy President Shinra talked Hojo into this in phases and not all at once, something about not needing to rush it along anymore. But I'm not sure I would have been myself if we had to do it all so suddenly like that." He placed his hands on his hips, a look of worry across his face as he stared of to the side thinking of their current situation.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, piecing together a few things in his mind from their conversation. Hojo was once notorious for his experiments, his main ones being Sephiroth's birth and the Soldiers program. The general turned from the both and started to walk away "Either way, we are done for today and we need to make our report." Making his way out of the hologram training room Sephiroth made his way into the barracks, opening his own locker to pull out a notebook and writing about today's training and results. Rather then report directly like the two others he was directed to write down their developments and failures, at the end of the week or would then give it to Hojo to look over and inspect and by the Monday is was returned back to him.

Cloud was the first back from the showers, drying his spiky blond hair off as he walked "Are you going back to your apartment to shower again sir? The ones here really are not that bad." He mentioned as he pulled out some more casual clothes to change into.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow as he looked towards the younger man "No thanks,I don't live very far. And besides, unlike you two it wasn't as hard of a work out for me." He stated, looking down to his paper again. The general has no interest in others seeing him naked and staring at the scars on him. Every time

Kain came around the corner next, towel wrapped tight around his waist and he moved to his locker and proceeded to get dressed as well "General Sephiroth sir, can we ask you something?" Glancing to Cloud for support both men nodded their heads and looked towards their teacher.

Sephiroth put away his pen and nodded "Fine, but ask as we walk. I have to give this to the professor." Honestly if he could avoid going to see Hojo all together he would, but is was part of his everyday life, not to mention how he now had to be with Aerith when she had her visits as well each and every time.

Kain took a deep breath, a little uneasy to ask a man he looked up to so highly such a odd question "Sir... there are rumors going around that... well, that your going to be a father. Is it true?" Kain asked, then almost ran into the taller man when he suddenly stopped and looked back at them.

Hearing it from someone not involved for some reason struck a cord with Sephiroth, he wasn't even to sure which one but it was a odd feeling. His green gaze locked into both of the blonde men behind him "Where did you hear that?" He questioned, glancing around to see if others were around and had heard. The three stood alone at the moment, in a hallway heading towards the elevator to return to their routine. He crossed his arms as he awaited their answer.

Cloud shrugged his shoulders "It's been going around for a few weeks now. A lot of people have been talking about it during lunch especially. No one seems to know much about the mother except that she has long brown hair and seems to be nice." He placed a hand on his hip "We just happen to overhear it then, that's all."

Sephiroth shook his head, placing a hand on his forehead as a headache started to form "Its true. Though the circumstances are different then what you would think. It's not something I can go into nor do I want to. I would like to keep my private life just that, private." With that he turned and went to the elevator, waiting for the other two to step in before pressing his floor button. He could tell both men wanted to ask him something else, but were holding back to respect his wishes. Chances are the rumors had spread from one of the assistants or soldiers that had been with Aerith, thankfully her name and such had not spread around.

The ride up was silent, as was the walk to Hojo's laboratory. Sephiroth could sense that the two men behind him were tense and worried, and he couldn't blame them honestly. Anything to do with Hojo could make any man's skin crawl and nauseas. The swishing sound of doors opening singled that they had made it to the lab, Sephiroth had been here so many times it was muscle memory now. He glanced around the room and found the disturbing doctor peering into a microscope at something, part way turned away from them as they walked inside.

Without moving from his inspection Hojo spoke "Yes yes, just leave the notes for now. I'm busy... here..." he trailed off as he adjusted the settings and moved the thin glass below the scope.

Sephiroth placed the notebook down as told and stepped away to look at his two trainees "Professor, today was the last day of the training. Is there another assignment you have for me?" He wasn't to to fond of the idea of doing more for the professor, but it was his job.

Hojo at last moved from his spot and looked at the three, raising a eyebrow in question "My, how the time has flown by. But yes yes, I have another job for you Sephiroth. But that can wait a moment while a take care of this first." He picked up the notebook and quickly flipped through the pages, only glancing here and there "For now you two boys will be returning to me other lab for further testing and experiments. We have only begun and this project and there is still much to do." Placing the book down he turned towards them again "Time if of the utmost importance! Go on! Don't stand around waiting, Just go find Daryl and he will take you back just like he brought you."

Both Cloud and Kain saluted the professor then towards to Sephiroth and did the same, Cloud reaching his hand out after towards the general, a smile crossing his face and they shook hands "Thank you sir, it was a honor to have you as a teacher." Then turned and started to leave, holding the door open ad waiting for Kain.

Kain grinned slightly and reached out a hand of his own "It's been a honor. Hopefully one that we will get to repeat someday soon. And good luck with your new family sir." He shook Sephiroth's hand then walked away, both of them disappearing behind the closed doors of the lab.

Sephiroth crossed his arms, staring after the door for a few moments before looking to find the professor already engrossed in something else entirely. Staying silent for a few moments he watched until he knew the professor wasn't so preoccupied that he wouldn't hear him "If that's all I will take my leave as well sir." And started to turn to go.

Hojo stood and turned his body towards Sephiroth, his face still glued to a notebook in front in him that he was scribbling in "You remember Zack don't you? Well, he is your next protégée for a few months. He just finished the step the two who just left will be going through. So I expect even better results from this. Oh, and don't forget to let me know if any odd things happen with the Cetra." And with that he sat at his desk and turned from Sephiroth, ending their conversation.

Hojo's words swirled violently through his mind as he strode down the cold halls. Zack was back? The other solider has gone missing after the whole event with Angeal and Gensis, and the Neblhiem reactor. The place where Sephiroth had learned the truth of himself. That he was nothing more then a monster and had secluded himself even more. Anger rose up within him as his train of thoughts shifted to Hojo's refusal to use Aerith's name and instead treat her as a thing. Why such a silly thing bothered him he wasn't sure, probably just relating it to his own treatments as a child where he was nothing more then a subject. The thought of Hojo doing any similar things to the flower girl made his stomach churn, it was a cruel thing that no one should have to go through. Sephiroth took a deep breath and shook his head to clear his mind, things had been so odd since he had started to live with Aerith.

His train of thought was interrupted by a familiar voice and spiky black hair "Hey Seph! Long time no see!" Zack grinned and waved, walking towards the taller general "How's it been?" He stopped in front of Sephiroth and reached out a hand, laughing softly "Glad to see someone I know finally."

Sephiroth chuckled softly and grinned "Good to see you as well Zack." He took Zack's hand and shook it firmly "But where have you been?"

Zack scratches the back of his head sheepishly, glancing to the ground "It's a long story... But uh... Why don't we go somewhere else to talk about it and grab a drink. Standing in the middle of a hallway is a bit odd hehe."

Sephirith nodded his head in agreement and they made their way out of the Shinra building and to a nearby bar that was popular among the recruits and regular employees alike.

Sephiroth and Zack had spent a few hours talking, the sun was setting now as he finally returned to his makeshift home inside the Shinra building. Zack of course to no ones surprise had done almost all of the talking, explaining the J project that he was apart of along with Cloud as best as he could. His head pounded harshly as he walked through the door, sliding his shoes off and placing his sword in a holder off to the side as well. He could hear the sound of the TV and a soft humming coming from the kitchen. Which meant that Aerith was back for the day and was already cooking something. He made his way to the living room area and sat down on the couch, which much to Aerith's dismay they had replaced with a much less comfortable one that had a bed for Sephiroth to sleep on, honestly he wasn't even sure why they had only placed one bed in here in the first place. He sighed softly as he leaned forward, resting his head in his hands in a vain attempt to relieve the migraine. The sound of soft footsteps approached from behind him and the humming stopped, Sephiroth sat up and glanced back towards the flower girl.

Aerith smiled softly at the general "Head nothing you again? Here, rest your head back." She patted the back of the couch and waited for Sephiroth to lay his head back and close his eyes. She closed her eyes briefly and and said a prayer to the planet, it's warm and calming voice flowing through her and reminded her of the pure love the planet felt for its sweet child. Her hands glowed a soft green color as she gently placed them on Sephiroth's head, she slowly massaged his temples and head, marveling once more at how odd and yet soft his long silver hair was. Not that she could talk much, not many people had hair as long and thick as her. They stayed silent as Aerith, her hands warm to the touch and flowing with magic. It was something she learned more recently she could do when she noticed just how painful Sephiroth's headaches were becoming and a longing to help in some way. She huffed softly and finished, moving off to the side and leaning slightly on the back "There you go, that should help some."

Sephiroth stayed stilled and quite for a few moments after Aerith stopped, the sensation of whatever it was Aerith did was hard to describe. But it was calming and relaxing, it felt like it reached to your soul and throughout the body to drive away tension. He opened his eyes and, leaving his head tilted back looked over at Aerith, their green eyes catching one another's "Thank you." He took noticed then of how she was in her pajama's already, a soft and comfy gray pair of pants and long sleeved matching shirt with some cartoon she had grown to like on the front. He also noticed the dark circles under her eyes, and the tired smile spread across her face "Nightmares again?" He asked simply, raising a eyebrow and sitting up fully to turn towards her.

Aerith frowned and stood, placing once hand gently on her slightly swollen stomach "Yeah... They seem to be coming a lot more often. A lot like your headaches." She glanced towards the general before her, even though he still wore a emotionless face, she was starting to learn what was going through his mind based off his eyes and the slightest movements he would make. It was taking a long time but she was slowly getting to know him more. "But let's not worry about that now, the foods ready and my show comes on soon!" She brightened up once more and turned to go eat.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes and stood, stretching out and popping a few joints before going to eat as well.

They talked a bit during their supper, mostly Aerith informing him of what had happened that day seeing how he hadn't been with her. Sephiroth would never go into much detail on his end, just a basic trained the recruit or went and killed this monster or that monster. After finishing eating Aerith cleaned up and Sephiroth took a shower at last, then dressed into simple dark green pajamas himself. He made his way out of the bathroom while drying his hair and to the living room area, noticing that Aerith sat on the couch watching the same show the character on pajamas was from. What had she called it? Soul Eater? Last time he had asked she had gotten annoyed and fussed at him "It's not a cartoon, it's called anime and it's Soul Eater!" He shook his head and walked to their room to place the towel in the laundry basket then back to the living room, sitting on the opposite end as Aerith as they had done most every night.

The show finished and Aerith beamed over at him "Ready to watch a movie? I'm not sure what's on yet though, hopefully it's better then that last one we watched." She flipped through the channels and stopped on one that showed movie's 24/7, and somehow with her luck they had fought the end credits of a movie which meant a new one starting. She picked up a pillow close by and hugged it tightly, all she was missing was the popcorn then, but she did try not to eat that every night...

The next movie finally started, something called "The last house on the left'. All Aerith knew at the end was that she had screamed a few times and was now curled up close to Sephiroth hiding behind the pillow "Is it over?" She asked softly, her head resting against the side of his arm.

She heard his chuckle softly "Yes. It wasn't that bad." He said very matter of fact my and looked down at her, crossing his arms and raising a eyebrow at her.

She slowly sat up and frowned at him "That was awful! Why do people like scary movies!" She picked the remote up once more and tried to find something a lot more light hearted to watch next, not even noticing or caring that she had stayed close to Sephiroth "Let's try this one, it's name doesn't sound scary 'Night at the Museum'. She sat back once more and curled up with the pillow, ready to hopefully forgot the previous movie completely.

Almost two hours later and Aerith was sound asleep, gently resting against Sephiroth's side as the credits came to a end. Sephiroth's arm laid on the back of the couch, one leg propped up on top of the other as he looked down to the sleeping girl beside him. This as the closest any woman had ever gotten to him before, they were either afraid of him or simply wanted to know him for his status. So it was a odd feeling, such a frail soft body resting against him with not a care in the world as she slept. The brown haired girl seemed to stir a lot of odd feelings, how was it that someone would care for a monster such as him at all? Much less carry his child...

Without thinking Sephiroth slid his arm down and around Aerith, resting it gently on her abdomen. This was the first time he had felt it. It was obvious to him now after having lived with her that she was starting to show fairly well now, try as she might to hide it from others as she walked the halls. Was he even worthy to be a father? How could he raise a child when he was nothing but a monster and killer. He sighed softly and unconsciously tightened his hold on Aerith, she shifted slightly in his grip and was resting her head on his shoulder now.

The movement caught Sephiroth off guard and he stiffened up, realization hitting him hard that he was curled up with a attractive young woman. He shifted slightly and carefully picked her up, remembering the first time he had done so a few months back and carried her to bed, undoing her braid and covering her up before returning to his own makeshift bed. Moving the cushions to pull the bed out and getting the blanket that rested on the back of the couch. Not the most comfortable but still better then the ground or a moving vehicle.

With thoughts of the day filling his mind Sephiroth drifted off to sleep, his sleep much more peaceful these recent days then it had been in years.

Please let me know what you think guys! I know it's not the best and to me the previous chapters seemed a ton better, but it still helps me to hear from you guys!

And I'm gonna tell you guys a silly little wish of mine... I wish and dream that maybe one day that someone will draw some of the moments from these chapters. I would if I could draw but I suck at it xD I can picture it in my head fine but can't draw it out.

~Rainbow


	6. Chapter 6

Hey there guys! We are slowly getting through these chapters, I don't get much time to write other than on my breaks at work. So it takes me way longer than I would like to finish. But enough of me rambling! Enjoy the story!

Side note: Aerith is currently five months along, Twenty one weeks so far!

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Aerith hummed softly as she brushed through her hair; it had started growing much faster and fuller ever since she had gotten pregnant. Most often she kept it in her normal braid, but today she decided to forgo that for something else. She twisted the front of both sides and pulled them back, tying her pink ribbon in with her materia in place. The small white orb had become a lifeline for her, the only item from before she had been forced into this situation. While Aerith had come to terms and accepted that she was going to be a mother of a man that didn't remember her at all, that didn't mean she was happy.

Her mind wandered to her childhood. She had been in this building before. At that time, her and her mother had been taken by Hojo when Aerith was only a few months old. It wasn't until she was around five or six that her mother had finally managed to escape with her, but her mother...

Aerith choked back sobs at the thought. Her memory of those years was faint, but the scene of her biological mother's death was something she had seen in her dreams for years and would never be able to forget. During those years they had been completely trapped, not allowed to leave their confined room but for testing and experiments. But every so often, she remembered seeing a small boy, with short silver hair and striking green eyes. It didn't surprise her that Sephiroth seemed to have no memory of ever seeing her; Aerith had only seen and watched from a distance, and spoken to the boy only once. Her mother, however, seemed to have gotten to know him well. She would come back bleeding, exhausted, and barely able to talk sometimes, but she would always smile and talk of the boy who she did her best to make happy.

Aerith stood to her feet, taking a deep breath and shaking her head. She had to finish getting ready now, no time to sit and ponder over the past. Whichever guard that was assigned to her today would be here any minute now to take her to today's activity or experiments. They changed up what they had her do at random, most likely to keep her unaware and less likely to try any escape plans, not that she could do much with her belly now.

Aerith gently placed a hand on her stomach and looked into the mirror. There was no hiding her pregnancy anymore, but the clothes they had given her were bland and boring, and always darker colors. Today she had on a dark, hazy blue dress that was far too snug around her top for her liking, and was also a bit shorter than she cared for, so she also had one of the few pair of leggings they had given her. This gray pair was one of her favorite because they were very warm and most of this building was always cold. She slipped into a pair of black sandals and made her way to the living room area to await and see what today would bring.

A knock on the door almost made her jump. Taking a deep breath, she went and opened it to see. "Oh! Cyan! It's so good to see you!" she exclaimed happily, moving to the side to allow him in. Out of the eight or so different people assigned to her, Cyan and one other were her favorite. They were kind and genuinely cared, and would always talk with her.

Cyan smiled gently towards her. "Good morning, Aerith. I finally brought the clothes you asked for. My wife picked them out, so hopefully they will be more to your liking than what Shinra gives you," he said, placing down two rather large bags of clothes onto the couch and then turning towards her. Cyan was an older gentleman; it was obvious he was not from this part of the world by his pure black hair he kept tied back and dark eyes that reminded her a lot of Tseng, and a mustache to match his dark hair. He had a knightly air about him and moved with an uncanny grace. He was well built for a man in his fifties, someone who obviously worked everyday and was very powerful. "And, of course, I shall be your guard for today, my lady."

Aerith smiled brightly and laughed. "Tell her thank you next time you see her. I can't wait to not have to wear these dreary clothes and feel a little more like myself," she said, watching him as he made his way back to her and held out his arm to escort her around. She wrapped her hand around his arm, marveling every time she had done so at how strong this man was. One would think that for his age he wouldn't be so, but he was built for sword fighting. Strong muscles hidden underneath the uniform he was forced to wear and amazing speed to match. She only knew because she had seen him in action once before in the training grounds; it was amazing to watch. On their way out, Cyan motioned to the guards hidden to the side and led her to the elevator, one hand resting on the hilt of the sword he carried at all times. If she remembered right, it was called a katana, a much shorter version of Sephiroth's own sword. Her mind drifted for a brief moment to the nightmares that still plagued her; she was scared of that weapon. Far more than she should be considering she had never seen him use it.

Cyan patted the top of her hand that rested on his arm, a look of concern across his face. "Miss Aerith, will you be alright?"

Aerith shook her head to clear her thoughts, smiling once more at him "Yeah, sorry. Just remembering a nightmare," she answered, then jumped just slightly as the elevator stopped. "Goodness, the baby sure is moving around."

They made their way out and into a hallway, Aerith moving her hand from his arm and placing both on her stomach. She could feel kicks and movement. It was such a strange thing to feel, she couldn't help but smile and look at Cyan. "Do you want to feel?"

Cyan's face lit up. "Of course! When my wife was carrying my son, he was rather active as well. It's a good thing, sign of a strong and healthy baby." He said, gently placing a hand on her stomach. They both stood still for a moment before the baby kicked right where his hand was, causing Cyan to laugh loudly. "It's been years since I have felt that. Thank you, my lady, for allowing me this honor." He smiled and held out his arm for her once more. "Has the General been able to feel that yet?" He asked as she took his arm.

Aerith could feel her face flush slightly. "No, not yet." She wasn't sure why, but the thought of asking Sephiroth was far too embarrassing to even consider. Sure, they had gotten to know each other per their time together (at least she thought so), but for some reason asking him things like that felt far too overwhelming to even consider.

Cyan gave her an odd look, not fully understanding why she would be so embarrassed. All guards were told the very basic story, that they were to protect and watch this young girl who was carrying General Sephiroth's child, and that was all. Any other details were left out. He sighed and continued to lead them. "Well, today you have joint materia training, a doctor appointment with Miss Claire and the Professor," his voice grew cold at the mention of Hojo, his disdain for him very clear, "And then weapon training." He grumbled softly, "I still don't understand why they would even think of having a pregnant woman do all of these things. It makes no sense to me. You should be resting and only do light exercises."

Aerith chuckled, gripping his arm with both of her hands. "It's okay, it helps keep me in shape and gets me out of that place. I don't know what I would do if I was stuck all the time."

Soon they arrived at the training room, the lights outside indicating that someone was already inside. They both entered, and the hologram was set to a very basic field; the only thing that stood out was the tall, silver-haired man in the middle, his sword drawn and swinging it through the air with ease. He stopped and looked over towards them, dropping his sword to his side and striding over. Aerith felt her heart beat faster. Was she really going to be magic training with him?

Sephiroth nodded his head in greeting to them both. "Before we start your training, Aerith," he turned his gaze to Cyan, "I was wondering if you would be up to a sparring match," he asked the older man. The katana at his side had not gone unnoticed by him, and he was genuinely curious about Cyan's skill.

Cyan smiled and laughed. "Well of course! Who would ever pass up the chance to go against you?" He turned towards Aerith and, releasing her hands, bowed towards her slightly. "So long as the lady is fine with it."

Aerith huffed softly. "Of course, you don't even have to ask. Go on, I will be over here watching." With that she turned from them and found a place to sit, turning back to watch them head further in and taking a stance. Though Sephiroth's sword was longer by far, Aerith could tell even from afar how well made Cyan's blade was. It shone softly in the light from the room; she could only imagine seeing it up close.

Their match started, Sephiroth swiftly moving closer to make the first strike to be met with an almost just as fast counter. They moved back and forth, their blades a blur and eyes intent on their target. Cyan jumped back, taking a stance. "Hast thou gone easy on me?" He always had an odd habit of speaking differently when he was fighting, but a smile was on his face. "Thy power is great indeed still..." A soft light emitted from his body and he let out a deep breath "Bushido." His stance changed, lifting his sword higher and pointing directly at Sephiroth "Flurry!" With that, he moved so quickly that to Aerith's untrained eyes, she couldn't see, and delivered a four-strike combo, each met with the steel clang of Sephiroth's blade. Cyan jumped back, taking a deep breath, and waited.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow; he had only seen something similar to that once before. "You're right, I am. Shall we continue then? I won't hold back anymore." He answered Cyan, holding his sword out and pointing towards him.

Cyan laughed. "Thou does me a great honor, General. I pray to be a fitting opponent as thou hopes." And with that, they clashed again, each eager to see how far the other could go.

Aerith was truly shocked to see how good Cyan was, not really expecting someone to even hold a candle to the great general of legend. Sure, she knew people exaggerated, but still. Their fight lasted for about fifteen minutes before Cyan stopped. His breathing was deep and sweat poured from his brow. Sephiroth still stood calm, seemingly unbothered.

Cyan shook his head and placed his blade away. "You are the victor, General. Thy strength and stamina far surpasses mine own." He walked up to Sephiroth and held out a hand, his shoulders back and head held high. "I thank thee for this chance." They shook hands and Cyan made his way beside Aerith, sitting down hard and laying his head back, closing his eyes. "I have not fought someone so intently for gods know how many years..." he said, still taking deep breaths.

Sephiroth walked over close and sat down as well, surprising Aerith slightly. "You did a good job, though. Not many people can last that long and go that fast without the mako enhancements like you have." He ran a gloved hand through his hair. "I would love to learn about that blade of yours as well, should we ever have time."

Cyan crossed his legs and sat straight "Of course! But for today, I believe that's all this old man can take. So for now I shall just watch from over here." He motioned towards the both of them and then to the field, ready to watch and catch his breath.

Sephiroth stood to his feet and reached out a hand to help Aerith up, careful to watch and make sure she was steady before releasing her hand. She had almost fallen once before; he was just barely close enough then to reach her shoulders and keep her up. He moved a few feet away from Cyan and waited for her.

Aerith took a deep steadying breath and moved up beside him. "So why are you training me today? And where should we start?" she asked, watching him closely and unconsciously resting a hand on her stomach once again.

Sephiroth shrugged. "The Professor informed me of this only this morning, so I don't know." He turned his hand over and plucked a materia from its slot on the wristlet. It glowed softly in his grip as he handed it over to her. "This is an ice materia. Most of mine are mastered. This one is close, but not quite," he spoke and handed her the small green orb. "Start off small and let's see what you can do."

Aerith took a deep breath, placing the materia in a slot on her own wristlet Shinra had given her. She focused on the small orb and casted small first. "Ice," she whispered softly, the spell going off ahead of them and hitting thin air.

Sephiroth spent the next hour instructing her on ways to improve her speed casting and accuracy. He watched as she casted once more, impressed with her ability to control and handle the Ice3 spell. She was a natural with magic, and learned fast.

The spell suddenly faded and he heard her start to cough. The color seemed to drain from her skin in a matter of moments, and she fell to her knees, doubled over in pain. Sephiroth moved to her side and placed a hand gently on her back.

"Aerith, what's wrong?" his voice was calm thanks mostly to his Soldier training, but inwardly his mind was racing. Trying desperately to grasp at ideas of what could be wrong and what he should do, he was used to things like this happening in battle, but not to a pregnant woman carrying his child and in his care. He was vaguely aware of Cyan's voice close by; he seemed to be using the radios they were required to carry around to contact someone.

"Sephiroth...it hurts..." Aerith sputtered between coughs, her eyes wide in pain. She covered her mouth as other vicious cough wracked through her, feeling something moist on her hand and afraid to look. Slowly she pulled her shaking hand away. Black and red? Blood, and something else she had never seen before. She turned to Sephiroth, tears streaming down her face "Sephiroth."

Sephiroth wasted no time after that, he carefully lifted her shaking form into his arms, looking over at last to Cyan, who was already moving to open the hologram chamber. His heart beat heavy in his chest. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this unprepared and worried. He ran out the door, glancing down at her briefly when he felt her grip his coat tightly and wince in pain again. Cyan followed close behind him and they went, desperately trying to get to the doctor in time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I first started writing this one, I absolutely hated it, I ended up writing Aerith as such a sucky Marysue and it was awful! So I rewrote the whole thing and it turned out a lot different and better, but it added on so much I had to cut my original chapter idea in half. It feels a lot nicer now though and I'm happy with it!

Let me know what you guys think and thanks again for reading!  
~Rainbow


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